With Chinese New Year just around the corner, we got to thinking about Chinese women and their tricks for looking gorgeous. January 1st has long passed so Chinese New Year (which is today) might be exactly what we need to get motivated about looking and feeling great again. Here we divulge some of our favorite Chinese health and beauty secrets to get ready for the New Year…again:

Use Natural Hair-Wash Products

If you've ever dreamed of getting silky, healthy hair, know this: it's all about using natural ingredients to boost shine. Many Chinese women use hair rinses with products like green tea, rosemary, or camellia nut oil to rid hair of toxins and give it an extra protein boost.

Looking for a Western product that'll do the trick? We like Aubrey Organics Green Tea Clarifying Shampoo ($10 at Sears). Its all-natural ingredients won't dehydrate hair and leaves your locks with a little extra volume.

Drink Tea

Perhaps it's not a well-kept secret but, nevertheless, this is a tip to take seriously. The Chinese have been drinking tea—particularly green, white, and oolong tea—for centuries and not only for the taste factor. These teas contain mega amounts of anti-oxidants that repair damaged body tissue (read: sun damage) helping Chinese women stay slim and look young.

Get Massaged

Just in case you need a reason to get massaged, here it is: it's an ancient healing practice that eliminates toxins in the body. Chinese women love their massages, partially because of the belief that having a well-balanced, even-flowing energy throughout the body is the key to wellbeing. If your internal energy gets stuck, say in muscles or a certain part of the body, illness is bound to arise. Hello, V-Day massages!

Try a Pearly Powder

If there's one thing Chinese women treasure, it's flawless skin. For centuries, women have used pearl powder—made from ground-up oyster shells— to create smooth, even toned complexions. Pearl powder contains amino acids and minerals that studies show help with acne, brown spots, and wrinkles. Not to mention it evens out skin tone.

Pearl powder is hard to come by and often taken in a pill form, so we recommend trying something topical. My Beauty Diary Pearl Powder Mask ($13 at Amazon.com) contains the magic, nourishing ingredient and is ideal for dull or damaged skin.

Jennifer Davidson joined theFashionSpot team as Managing Editor in November 2010. In addition to overseeing the editorial content of the site, she shares her fashion, beauty, and pop culture obsessions in her weekly column The Love List. Prior to joining the tFS team, Jennifer produced fashion segments for television, and is also the co-founder of StyleBakery.com.